It was spring cleanup time today as volunteers, young and old, hit the road to take care of litter along Hwy. 1 through Weymouth as part of the Adopt-A-Highway program.

Members of the Weymouth Lion’s Club, the community and students from St. Mary’s Bay Academy pitched in to pick up garbage in an effort to give the roadsides a cleaner more attractive appearance between Exits 27 and 28.

Lion’s Club secretary Pete Comeau said 21 volunteers filled 61 garbage bags and five bags of recyclables in a few hours’ work this morning.

“The Lions Club arranged the clean up through the Adapt-A-Highway program and it is a community service that is a required thing because people continue to throw garbage along the highway,” he said.

“The program suggests we do a cleanup every six months and this is the third time we’ve tackled the litter.”

Comeau said spring cleanup is worse than in the fall because garbage seems to be more easily hidden in the fall.

Volunteers said the biggest culprits in the ditches were flyers, Tim Hortons cups and plastic bags, while the worst areas were at the interchange areas.

“The drive-and-go area near Exit 28 was bad,” said one volunteer. “We’re trying hard to make our community attractive and throwing garbage out the car window does not get the job done. We need to take pride in how our community looks to tourists as well as ourselves.”

The volunteers gathered at Sissiboo Landing for a barbecue lunch after a job well done.